Submarine buoy



(No Model.)

' E. A. CHAMBERLAIN.

- v SUBMARINE'BUOY. K No. 594,600. Patented NOV. 30,1897.

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ERNEST ALVIN CHAMBERLAIN, OF WVOODS, OREGON.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,600, dated November30, 1897. Application filed May 25,1895- Serial No. 550,663x (No model.)

To all whont it ntcty concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST ALVIN CHAM- BERLAIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at \Voods, in the county of Tillamook and State ofOregon, have invented a new and useful Submarine Buoy, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in buoys, and has for itsobject to provide a simplev and efficient submarine buoy which isadapted to support the anchoring chain or cable and to uphold the samefor the purpose of preventingsaid anchoring-chain from wearing againstthe bed of a river, &c., caused by the chain churning on the bottom asthe surface buoy rises and falls on the swell.

A further object of the invention is to facilitate the recovery of theanchor and chain by the use of grappling-irons or otherwise when theanchoring-chain becomes broken.

To accomplish the above objects, the invention consists in certain novelfeatures and details of construction and arrangement, as hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the drawing, and embodied in the claim.

The accompanying drawing represents my improved buoy complete and shownin operative position in a body of water.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 designates a surface buoy whichmay be of any usual or preferred material, such as wood in the form of asolid block or a cask having heavy staves or of sheet metal havingriveted and sealed joints. The surface buoy may also be, of anydescription-such as a channel, bell, whistling, or other buoy.

2 designates an anchoring-chain which attaches at its upper end to thesurface buoy or to a weight attached to the bottom of said surface buoy.Thelower end of this anchoring-chain is generally connected with theanchor (indicated at 3) without the interposition of other devices, andwhere such is the case it will be apparent that the slack chain adjacentto said anchor will lie upon the bed 'or bottom 4: of the river or otherbody of water, and by reason of said anchoring-chain being always keptin motion by the swell of the water at the surface said chain will besubjected to continuous wear and will at length part, the upper portionof said chain being carried off by the surface buoy and that portion ofthe chain adjacent to the anchor falling to the bed or bottom 4, whereit will become covered with sand, 820., and the recovery thereof berendered exceedingly difficult. In order to obviate this difficulty andto facilitate the recovery of said anchor and its chain, I employ asecond buoy (indicated at 5) which is preferably made in the form of adouble cone or pointed at top and bottom, this shape rendering the buoyless liable to be fouled. This buoy may be made of solid or hollow wood,but is preferably formed from sheet metal securely riveted and tightlysealed at the joints.

The buoy 5 is submerged, preferably, in the lower half or below thecenter of the depth of the body of water in which it is placed, suchdepth being regulated by means of the anchoring-chain 6, which connectssaid submerged buoy with the anchor 3. The chain 2 connects at its lowerend with an eye at the upper end of the submerged buoy 5, and the slackin the upper chain rests upon the upper conical portion of said buoy, asindicated in the drawing, the bend or double in said chain occurring atthe point '7, or thereabout. Sufficient slack is given to the upperchain 2 to allow the surface buoy to rise and fall when acted upon bythe natural swell of the water at the surface or by the waves or wakesof vessels.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the greatestwear on the anchoring-chain will occur at the point 7, where said chainis doubled. \Vhen this chain finally breaks, the portion thereofattached to the submerged buoy 5, as well as the lower section 6 of thechain, will be upheld by said buoy and prevented from falling to thebottom. By means of this construction and arrangement the anchoring-chain is always held clear of the bottom and the wear thereongreatly diminished, and another great advantage of the arrangement isthat when the chain finally breaks the anchor, 6150., may be recoveredwith comparative ease, as the submerged buoy and connecting-chainreaching to the anchor remain in their original relation, adapting thesame to be more readily found and grappled by the usual appliances forthat purpose.

The form of the buoys is of course immaterial to this invention, and itwill be apparent that other changes in the form, propor tion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrifiein g any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

A buoy adapted for permanent use as a channel or similar buoy,comprising an airtight surface buoy, a permanentlysubmerged buoy 5, achain 6 carrying an anchor and permanently connected at its upper end tothe lower point of the submerged buoy, and an ERNEST ALVIN CHAMBERLAIN.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM BooTH, RICHARD II. HOLMES.

